Just in time for re-election the checks came in the mail and the pork money is finding it’s way to the front pages of local newspapers. Ever notice those huge checks have the politicians name written on them when they should say “paid for by your tax dollars”..

Senate details list of pet projects
ALBANY, N.Y. The Republican-led state Senate plans to dole out nearly 58 (m) million dollars in grants for pet projects as part of this year’s state budget.
Details of the grants — which include money for museums, charities, schools and other causes — were posted on the Senate’s web site today.

In June, the Times Union newspaper of Albany sued Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver seeking the release of the names of individual members sponsoring projects that are seen as helpful to their re-election campaigns.

At issue is a 200 (m) million dollar pot of money that is annually divided up by Silver, Bruno and Governor Pataki for their favored projects.

The state Assembly’s Democratic majority made public its list of pork barrel projects earlier this month.

That list outlined projects costing almost 51 (m) million dollars.
Senate home page.
Here is an 84 page PDF